Peyton Watson didn’t leave Denver with any hard feelings from one of the people who knew him best.
After Aaron Gordon spent part of a weekend media session talking about Watson’s departure, the new Cavaliers wing answered publicly Monday with a message that made the relationship plain. Watson called Gordon salt of the Earth and said he could not fully convey “how grateful I am for the brotherhood me and AG have.”
Salt of the earth! Cant say how grateful I am for the brotherhood me and AG have 💪🏾 https://t.co/Y00JHkkgXA
- Peyton Watson (@peytonwatson_) September 14, 2026
Gordon’s remarks came Sunday evening, when DNVR Nuggets reporter Harrison Wind posted video of the Denver forward discussing Watson. Gordon made clear the bond went beyond basketball.
Aaron Gordon on Peyton Watson:
"That's my dog. It's deeper than basketball with Peyton and I.
Our family members go to the same church. Peyton is like my brother.
Happy for him, the situation that he's in."
"Obviously we would have loved to have him. But it worked out the way… pic.twitter.com/mt1DLpckX9
- Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) September 13, 2026
“It’s deeper than basketball with Peyton and I,” Gordon said, adding that their families attend the same church and that he views Watson as a brother.
He also said Denver would have liked to keep Watson, while still expressing happiness for where Watson ended up.
That destination is Cleveland, where Watson signed a four-year, $88 million contract with a player option and a trade kicker in August as part of a multi-team sign-and-trade. In the deal, Denver received an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-rounder from Cleveland, and Max Strus was routed to the Los Angeles Clippers.
For Watson, the move ends a stretch in which he spent his entire career playing alongside Gordon, who was usually ahead of him in the starting lineup at forward. That changed last season, when Watson started a career-high 40 games and posted personal bests of 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Cleveland went after him for a reason. The Cavaliers targeted Watson specifically as the wing meant to help fill the hole left when LeBron James chose Philadelphia over a third Cavaliers stint and Dean Wade followed him there in free agency.
Cavaliers fans have already spent a month hearing about Watson’s athleticism and defense, and how those traits could matter for a team coming off an Eastern Conference finals sweep. The weekend back-and-forth between Watson and Gordon added something more personal: a reminder of what Watson left behind in Denver, and proof that the player Cleveland is banking $88 million on departed with his closest teammate still openly pulling for him.
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The contracts scale is hard to ignore, and it only grows when you look at the final year, which carries a $75.5 million player option for 2030-31. For the Cavaliers, the real issue is no longer whether Mitchell is worth the investment. It is how they use the rest of the cap sheet, the next wave of decisions and the years ahead to make sure such a massive commitment leads to more than just star power on paper. [Read more 🡒]